


Jagged Edges

by NamelesslyNightlock



Series: Going Down Swinging [17]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Loki (Marvel), Civil War Team Iron Man, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluffy Ending, Hurt Tony Stark, Injury, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Loki (Marvel), Revenge, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 06:36:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20077762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Loki finds Tony lying injured and alone in a cold Siberian bunker. He’s not going to let that pass unpunished.





	Jagged Edges

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt**— _“This is going to hurt.”_

Tony couldn’t breathe.

He could feel the shrapnel cutting through flesh to his heart, the arc reactor compressing his lungs, the hole in his chest taking up far too much space. The armour was pressing down on his ribs, and every inhale scraped the broken ends of bones against each other, every movement an agony that he was half sure he didn’t deserve.

The slam of the shield against the armour had brought back every hurt, every _memory_. His arm was screaming – it was broken, but he’d had to keep fighting, he’d had to _try_ – and there was a cut on his forehead that not only hurt like hell but was dripping blood, making his eyes sting and his vision blur.

He could still see Steve in front of him, though he couldn’t be sure if that was real or another memory—

Because Tony could still _see_ it, could still _feel _everything that had happened— Steve filling the whole HUD, his shield and fist smashing into his helmet and knocking his brain around inside his head.

Maybe he had suffered too much, maybe something had been hit too hard, had been shaken loose. He tried to push the image of Steve away, tried to force it out of his head so that he could focus, could try to get out of the suit, maybe. If he didn’t do _something_, then there was a chance that he would freeze to death here in the icy winter of Siberia.

But before he could, there was another face in his field of vision– but this time, Tony was willing to accept it, to pretend that it was real even if it wasn’t. Perhaps it could give him some measure of strength.

“Loki,” Tony gasped, his head turning slightly to stare, wishing that he could raise his arms and reach for his lover– but he _couldn’t_, because with the arc reactor destroyed the suit was nothing more than a dead weight holding him down. 

Loki’s gaze landed on Tony immediately, though it then darted about the room, searching for remaining threats. But his assessment lasted less than moment, and then he was at Tony’s side, not having bothered to waste the time walking when seiðr was so much faster. His eyes were almost glowing as he knelt on the frozen concrete, immediately reaching to cradle Tony’s damaged face between gentle palms.

“Anthony,” he whispered, his voice pained. Tony could feel Loki’s magic working through him already, and he closed his eyes with a relieved sigh.

This wasn’t a dream, or a memory– Loki truly had come, had somehow known that Tony needed help and had come to _help_ him.

“FRIDAY told me that you were in danger,” Loki explained before Tony had the chance to ask, “But I did not realise that it would be so…” he trailed off, the ache in his tone more than enough for Tony to work out why.

When Tony opened his eyes again it was to see that his armour was bathed in the light of Loki’s green seiðr, the magic flowing from his hands and probing into every piece of the suit, gently easing the pieces of it from Tony’s body so that he could move again. He cried out as Loki removed the gauntlet from his left arm, the pain too much to bear—

“I’m sorry,” Loki said immediately, “I’m so sorry, Anthony, but it has to come off.” He took Tony’s wrist lightly in his hands, soothing the pain as best as he could with his limited knowledge of healing, his expression devasted.

And Tony tried to remain quiet for the rest, because he hated seeing that pain in Loki’s eyes more than he hated how much everything hurt— but when it came time to remove the chest plate, and the metal that had lodged into his skin pulled at his cracked ribs, the sound that tore unbidden from his throat was not a pretty one.

Loki looked like he wanted to stop. His lips were twisted into a grimace and there was something broken in his gaze, but his movements remained determined as he coaxed the plate away and then closed the wound with a surge of his seiðr.

“This was Rogers, wasn’t it?” Loki asked harshly, staring at the tell-tale shape of the damage.

“It doesn’t matter,” Tony replied, his voice hoarse– though whether it was from the difficulty he was having breathing or from the realisation that he truly had just lost a friend, Tony couldn’t say. Loki seemed like he wanted to argue the point, but he pressed his lips together and continued with his grisly task.

When all the armour was removed, Loki helped Tony sit up, careful of jostling his ribs. He pulled a piece of cloth from thin air and fashioned Tony a sling, and even when that was done he continued to run his hands over Tony’s arms, over his shoulders, his chest, his cheeks, still leaving a trail of seiðr with every touch, as if he couldn’t quite believe that he had done all that he could.

“Why did you not bring someone with you?” Loki asked. “Why didn’t you bring any backup?”

“I didn’t think it would turn into a fight,” Tony whispered. “At least, not between us. I thought…” He closed his eyes, and shifted a little uncomfortably. “I thought I _was_ the backup.”

Loki made a small noise of distress, anger fighting against pain in his gaze, and Tony shifted close into Loki’s space and leaned his head against Loki’s shoulder. Loki’s arms came around him then as Tony had hoped that they would, and they held each other as close as they could without causing Tony unnecessary pain.

“He’s going to regret doing this to you,” Loki vowed, the viciousness in his voice at complete odds to the gentleness of his touch. “I _promise_, I am going to make sure of it.”

Tony just turned his head and buried his face into the curve of Loki’s neck, breathing him in and trying not to think about anything other than the fact that Loki was _there_, that despite all Tony had just lost in one foul swing, at least he still had _this_.

“Just stay?” he whispered, hoping that Loki would know what he meant. _Don’t go after him right now. That’s not what I need. I just want you here. Please, just stay with me. _

“Always,” Loki swore, leaning down to press his lips to Tony’s head in a lingering kiss. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Despite the lingering pain, Tony relaxed into Loki’s hold, letting the feel of his arms around him wash away the chaos in his mind– at least, for now. Having Loki there couldn’t make it better, but… it certainly made everything feel just a little more bearable.

—

It was some years later before Loki’s promise was kept. Tony had almost forgotten about it, because with everything else going on it had just seemed unimportant.

The whole ordeal seemed like it was unnecessary now. Even though the Rogues were still considered criminals, they had been welcomed back into the fold with open arms– because to defeat Thanos and stop him from destroying half of all reality with the Infinity Stones, they were going to need all the help that they could get.

Tony had not even tried to avoid Steve and the others– he had not even tried to avoid _Wanda_. After all, Thanos was too big a threat to let ‘petty’ arguments get in the way, and they couldn’t afford to be fighting amongst themselves when the real fight was going to be almost impossible to win.

And yet, against all odds, win it they did. They managed to band together well enough and for _just long enough_ to save the world once again– and Tony had hoped, then, that maybe that would be it. That maybe, they would be allowed to go back to the way that they were, that they could return to the status quo that had suited Tony… well, not perfectly, but well enough over the past several years.

But then… the Rogues were not made to leave.

They were given pardons in recognition of what they had done to save the world from Thanos, provided that they signed the adjusted copies of the Accords that _Tony_ had spent years working on– and which were what he had tried to tell Steve they needed in the first place. And when Steve actually read the fucking thing, it turned out that he agreed it was a good idea.

Tony tried not to be bitter about that fact. He just tried to silently revel in the fact that, once again, he had been proven right. (Even if, _once again_, it was only after something had gone terribly wrong because they had refused to listen.)

But then he was informed by the Accords Council that he was expected to house them in the Avengers Compound until more suitable accommodation could be found– which, knowing the government, could be anywhere from a few months to a few years.

Loki, who had remained by Tony’s side throughout it all, had touched his hand and brushed his fingers along the inside of Tony’s wrist, providing comfort and support without giving any observers something that they could label as a weakness. It gave Tony the strength that he needed to finish the conversation and get the fuck out of there.

In that moment, he really wished that he had not decided to sell the Tower. He didn’t have another residence in New York, since he had sold his father’s old house decades ago, and to go anywhere else would only advertise the fact that he was running away.

He spent the whole drive back to the compound in Loki’s arms, with Happy remaining respectfully quiet up the front while Loki held him close and stroked his hair. And by the time they arrived, he almost felt like he could face anything.

Tony walked into the living room with his head held high and the memories held at bay, and even though there was a phantom ache in his left arm when he caught sight of Steve and Bucky standing side by side in the centre of the loose line the rogues had formed, he still kept his cool—

But Loki did not.

Tony was just as taken by surprise as everyone else when the god stormed forward with vicious purpose, the air crackling around him as he went straight for Steve. Barnes tried to step in the way but Loki brushed him aside with a flick of his hand– then he grabbed Steve by the shoulder and shoved him away from his friends.

Steve tried to recover but Loki was back on him almost instantly, shoving Steve down until his knees hit the ground and green tendrils locked Steve’s arms and legs in place. And of course Steve struggled and fought, but even with the serum running through his veins he was still human– and he was no match for the strength of a god and the power of Loki’s seiðr.

“Take a deep breath, Captain Rogers,” Loki advised, bearing his teeth in a dangerous snarl. “This is going to hurt.”

With that, Loki pressed the palm of his hand to Steve’s forehead and his eyes fell closed– but Steve’s opened wide and gleamed with horror.

The others had already started to shout, but Tony had begun to move the moment he had seen Loki’s eyes shut, his nanobots bleeding over his skin and encasing him in his suit. He stood between the angry Avengers and Loki, his stance strong and his palms facing forward.

“Do _not_ come any closer,” he ordered– and, to his surprise, they all stopped. Even Wanda, with her eyes and fingers glowing red, paused in the face of Tony’s threat– and he couldn’t help but wonder whether that was because they realised that Loki wasn’t doing any true harm, or because they finally respected what Tony was capable of in his suit.

At least… Tony _hoped_ that Loki wasn’t really harming Steve. He trusted Loki more than anyone, but he had _seen_ the rage in Loki’s eyes, and he knew that when Loki promised pain and regret he had not been lying.

When Tony was certain that the others were not going to attack, he turned just enough so that he could see what Loki was doing– and, _oh_.

Steve’s mouth had fallen open in a silent scream, and his eyes were almost bulging as they streamed with tears. Loki’s face was pulled into an expression of concentration now, his lips pressed tight together– and although the hand on Steve’s forehead was as normal as ever, the fingers that were gripping Steve’s shoulder had begun to glow green.

It was difficult to judge how long they stood there, the Rogues on one side of the room and Tony, Loki, and Steve on the other. It could have been a minute, it could have been an hour, for it merely felt like a single stretched moment measured only by breaths that came easier than they should have. But the moment came to an end as Loki opened his eyes and stepped away, removing his hands from Steve with a speed that suggested he did not wish to remain in contact with the man for any longer than was necessary.

Steve gasped, and fell forward, his hands hitting the ground as he tried to steady himself, his breathing far too heavy and his eyes squeezed tightly closed.

Loki did not give him any time to recover.

“Now do you see?” he snarled, his rage not yet sated. “Now you understand all that you have done?”

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, the words choked out between his rasping breaths. He sounded… almost like he was trying to draw in as much air as he could, like he had just survived a drowning and now had the instinct to continue swallowing down oxygen, even if it made him dizzy and threw his mind into a haze.

Yeah. Tony knew exactly what that felt like.

“I do not believe that you are,” Loki said, his eyes still on Steve, his hands clenched in angry fists, his arms held tightly by his sides. “You think that you know, but that was only a taste, nothing more than an illusion.” Loki’s dagger was in his hand in an instant, having been pulled from thin air. He leaned down to grip the back of Steve’s collar, and there was something dark and deadly in his gaze as he said, “If you think you know pain, Captain Rogers, then I am here to tell you that you are _wrong_.”

“Loki,” Tony said– and at that one word, Loki stopped. He did pause for a moment to give Steve one last glare, and he let the tip of the dagger drag once over Steve’s cheek before he straightened and made his way to Tony. Tony let his suit melt away and stepped into Loki’s waiting arms, not caring about the mutters that broke out amongst the others.

Loki’s gaze was still hard as he caught Tony’s eye, but Tony could see the hint of an apology hidden amongst everything else. Loki did not regret doing what he had, but he _would_ regret it if Tony thought he had gone too far. But Tony merely offered him a small smile, which Loki answered by stroking his hand along the small of Tony’s back. An unspoken agreement passed between them, and then they let go of their hold on each other save for leaving their hands entwined.

“You know where your rooms are,” Tony threw out, taking enjoyment from their muttering. “I’m sure that your stay here will be very… pleasant.”

He heard Barnes and Wilson rush toward Steve as he and Loki left, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

It was only when they reached their room and they were standing once again in a tight embrace that Tony asked for the details of what Loki had done.

“I merely helped him realise what his own actions have wrought,” Loki said. “It was a mercy, for he truly deserved far worse.”

For most, it might have been difficult to remember the horror that had crossed Steve’s face and consider it a _mercy_. But Tony knew Loki, and he knew that the god had restrained himself. Loki had wanted to rip and tear and rage, and to show Steve exactly what had been done to Tony through pure returned violence.

But he _hadn’t_.

Of course, in the back of his mind, Tony knew the fact that he was the only thing that had stopped Loki from doing exactly that – and that Loki _wanted_ to do that in the first place – should probably have scared him, because it would have sent any sane person running for the hills. But… he also just felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure at the fact that someone could care about him that much, that Loki would be willing to fight for _him_, just because someone had hurt him in the past.

And maybe that meant that something had been shaken loose in his mind, or maybe that there was something broken inside of him that would never properly heal. But sometimes, with Loki helping him hold himself together, it felt like perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing. They fit so perfectly because they were _both_ a little broken– two shattered things leaning together, borrowing strength and offering love in a way that helped them both to stand tall.

And sometimes, with Loki by his side… Tony almost felt like there was a chance of becoming whole once more.


End file.
